Presented by Colorado State University\u2019s department of communications and the ACT Human Rights Film Festival, 22 student films lit up the big screen at the fifth annual Through the Student Lens Film Festival. Hosted on Wednesday, April 22, and Friday, April 24, students, family and friends gathered to watch the student-made films.<\/span><\/p>\n The idea for the film festival came from Program Director and Teaching Associate Professor in the department of communications<\/span>\u00a0Usama Alshaibi<\/span><\/a>, who said he wanted to showcase some of the best student films produced in his <\/span>course<\/span><\/a>:<\/span>\u00a0SPCM 360 \u201cThe Personal Lens \u2014 Making Media.\u201d <\/span>Over the years, the festival has expanded, with several works coming outside of Alshaibi\u2019s course that represent CSU\u2019s active film community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The film festival is also student run and student judged. Elieana Garrick and Stella Leslie, this year\u2019s co-student directors<\/a>, headed the festival alongside Alshaibi.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big believer in making films but also screening the films,\u201d Alshaibi said. \u201cThere\u2019s something about sitting in a theater in the dark with a bunch of people in the audience and having your film on the big screen; it changes you \u2014 it transforms you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Showcased films fell into one of five sections: Fright or Flight, Through the Queer Lens, In Motion, Experimental Form and The Earth and Sky, according to the event\u2019s program. Films also spanned in subject matter, echoing themes of friendship, culture, identity and more. Attendees had the opportunity to vote on their favorite films in each category.<\/span><\/p>\n Lucan Wrigley, a student majoring in journalism and media communication, showcased his film titled \u201cBravo,\u201d during The Earth and Sky section of the festival. Inspired by composers Claude Debussy and <\/span>Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Chopin, Wrigley said his film aimed to cultivate the feelings of affection and grief the composers\u2019 music ignites for him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From shots of Wrigley playing piano in the Lory Student Center to videos from his childhood, the film primarily focused on Wrigley\u2019s history with piano throughout his life.<\/p>\n \u201cA big part of my concept was, what has (piano) done for me in the past two years that has made me be able to step away from the difficulties of life and deal with the anxiety that goes and plagues all of our days naturally?\u201d Wrigley said. \u201cWhy is it important to me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Wrigley got involved with the festival through Alshaibi\u2019s SPCM 360 course, which he said offered him strong criticism from people who care about movies as he returned to the space of filmmaking.<\/span><\/p>\n What makes the festival different, Alshaibi said, is that all the work is done and the films are produced by students. Through the festival, Alshaibi said \u201cdo-it-yourself filmmaking,\u201d is encouraged, noting that many films were made with iPhones and free editing software, making the festival accessible and catered to personal filmmaking.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s impactful that you don\u2019t need to be the best and that you don\u2019t need to have the best camera,\u201d Leslie said. \u201cYou just need to submit your art, and it\u2019s amazing seeing what people can make with just being in their living room. I think it\u2019s really magical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Around 300 films were submitted and later judged based on the student\u2019s vision, including elements such as plotline and creativity, Garrick said.<\/span><\/p>\n Tristin Tumeka Astbury said\u00a0creating their film \u201cCall Us When You Land, Star Child,\u201d gave them an opportunity to return to who they are naturally. As an experimental film, Astbury\u2019s work \u201creflected my internal world onto the screen visually,\u201d employing bright colors, nature scenes and transitions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had to do a lot of rigorous, disciplined structure throughout my education, in college and before,\u201d Astbury said. \u201cBut for this (film), it was very spontaneous, and I let it come from experimenting in the world, like picking things up, actually looking at what was around me, wondering what would make something interesting based off of the perspective that I\u2019m getting from it in real time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As student programmers, Garrick and Leslie promoted the festival through posters and social media content; the two also contributed their own films, with Garrick\u2019s titled \u201cSisu\u201d and Leslie\u2019s titled \u201cTake Note.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just nice for us to get together in a dark theater and share a world,\u201d Alshaibi said during the Friday showing. \u201cI really believe that filmmaking is a way to enter another person\u2019s life, to enter someone\u2019s dreams and their desires and their fears, and to share that experience helps us to understand one another a little better. I think it makes a better world when we can all share our stories.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Reach Chloe Rios at entertainment@collegian.com<\/a> or on social media @RMCollegian<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n![\"Eight](\"https:\/\/collegian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/04_22_26_Through-The-Student-Lens-Film-Festival_AMashburn_003-600x400.jpg\")
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